Some speculators seem to think that the Florida Real Estate Bubble is all the sudden is going to pop and all of the investors are going to lose millions of dollars and investors are going to go running for the hills. This is just simply not true, while many other US investing options are going sour real estate is as safe as ever before and with sky rocketing prices it’s no wonder why many big name investors is heading to Florida.

While it’s true that Florida investment real estate will certainly cool down at some point it doesn’t appear to be happening anytime soon. While in some cities such as Los Angeles are feeling the backlash of buying homes off interest only loans, Florida investment properties are growing in value for more obvious reasons then it’s western counter parts. Florida is attracting visitors from all over the world for it’s five star vacation experience. If you visit places like Orlando or Miami you’ll see that the city is working as a whole to bring more visitors in and is doing everything in its power to promote world side exposure. When is the last time you heard a hardworking working person say “I’m taking the family to Los Angeles for Vacation?” or after a professional athlete having a great game and say “I’m going to Myrtle Beach!”

I remember the first 6 months after Florida real estate started rising hearing “It won’t last another year” and “I’d like to see the investor’s face this time next year when he can’t sell that property for what he bought it for” The truth is there are money negative people out there and many more people that feel the world is designed to keep them down and believe it will always punish them if they take a chance on anything. What I find funny is the investors almost always end up on top and when they do take a loss it’s usually small in comparison to how much they’ve gained.

So what’s the key not to get burned by any real estate bubble? Smart investing… As long as you make educated decisions you will be far less likely to suffer the fate of the remorseful investor. Think of it as a game of poker, if you know only one card will beat you and the chances are slim to none the other person has it - is it worth going all in? It’s the same in florida real estate, if you have a great developer that has a history of successful profitable developments and a management company that is second to none it’s usually a good idea to invest in that property.

There are pre construction and investment real estate developments opening up all over the US and the investors that are scared to invest will never move up the ladder. There is risk in every industry, the difference in this industry is that you’re the boss and you make the rules. As long as you stay current in the market there is always going to be investment opportunities for you. Remember in the eighties hearing everyone complains that the stock market was way down and everyone was selling all their shares? Smart investors BUY LOW and SELL HIGH, not the other way around. When the market is low the investors buy up as much as then can, when it goes up they sell.

Don’t worry about the Florida real estate bubble popping anytime soon. Big time developers and investors have researched the market and investment brokers that are in the know will keep an eye on them like a fox and keep an eye out for any irregular behavior. I remember a few years back a client of mine telling me the following bit of information “Burger King didn’t make it big by overly researching the market and location for their shops - They just waited for Mc Donalds to put up a shop and then opened a Burger King across the street”.

If anyone has a specific question about the Florida real estate bubble and my thoughts on it feel free to send me an email or give me a call. I’ve been heavily involved in the Florida investment real estate market for more then19 years and I’m very knowledgeable about it’s turns and twists.

Goldberg Executive Realty Group
Mark Goldberg
Phone: 1-866-247-2259
E-mail: GoldbergRealtyGroup@cfl.rr.com

http://www.InvestRealEstate101.com

Real Estate Basics

The business of real estate can seem confusing to anyone not in the business of buying and selling houses. There are many different kinds of real estate, and the rules that govern the business require education, licensing, and the memorization of a number of industry-specific jargon terms.

There are many terms in real estate that can be confusing to an outsider of the business. For example, the terms Real Estate Agent, Real Estate Broker, and Realtor all mean something slightly different in terms of the credentials, education, experience, and certification of the person in question. There are also real estate companies, real estate lawyers, and private equity funds that invest in real restate deals. In addition, there are rules that govern the process of buying and selling property.

The business of real estate varies in accordance with the market. Sometimes it is a “bull market” and sometimes it is a “bear market.” There is also a significant difference between residential real estate and commercial real estate. Commercial real estate is better in that it tends to offer more stability and deliver higher profits, but it also requires a significant investment in capital that can be tied up for longer periods of time. Residential real estate also requires capital investment, as well as investment in time, repairs, renovations, though with a quicker turn around.

Whether looking to buy or sell personal property or enter into the business of real estate as a buyer, seller, renovator or representative, it is important to understand as much about the world of real estate as possible.

Many retirees are drawn to Florida’s West Coast, specifically
the Tampa Bay area. These folks relocate to Florida for its
temperate climate and easy living. Our nation’s baby boomers are
coming into their retirement years, and they are a part of this
group. Modern trends are shifting to accommodate the lifestyles
and needs of this largest segment of our population and the
Tampa Bay area is a perfect example.

Florida’s Tampa Bay area has miles of pristine beaches and
beautiful natural landscapes as backdrops for the finest living
available for individuals, families, and retirees. Life here can
only be described as “Treasured Living.” The sun, silky-smooth
sandy beaches, and the warm waters flowing into Tampa Bay from
the Gulf of Mexico will allow you an escape from the ordinary
stresses of daily life. The museums, restaurants, theatres,
night clubs, recreational activities, and close-knit communities
will add color, and vibrancy to your life!

When it comes to retirement, everyone has their own idea of what
they want their retired living to look like. Some will want to
live in larger, more metropolitan areas filled with lots of
constant activity, while others want to get away and slow things
down a bit. The type of housing desired, will also vary among
individuals from condominium living, to manufactured home parks
to large waterfront homes. Another consideration for folks
coming into their well-earned retirement years is the
opportunity to engage in the activities that they enjoy most
such as golfing, fishing, boating, shopping, hobbies, and
entertainment. The Tampa Bay area can offer a wide-range of
options to ensure that your retirement years are truly “Golden,”
as you rightfully deserve.

Consulting with a Tampa Bay Realtor is an excellent way to begin
the search for your retirement real estate. These
representatives are quite knowledgeable about all of the housing
and amenities available throughout the area, and thus, they can
be a great help as you decide where you would like to live, and
what your retirement will mean to you.

If you enjoy an active lifestyle, you might consider relocating
to one of the Tampa Bay’s many vibrant 55+, adult communities.
These are tight-knit, mini-cities, made up of other retired
people who share in the same desires for maintaining an active
lifestyle as you.

Some of the best adult living communities are located within
Tampa, Clearwater and surrounding areas. Highland Lakes, On Top
of the World, and Imperial Cove, just to name a few, located in
beautiful Clearwater Florida, are just minutes from the area’s
beaches, and offer its residents a community center to gather
together for some fun, as well as plenty of outdoor recreational
activities to keep you busy. These senior communities are also
conveniently situated to nearby shopping, dining, and
entertainment resources. Pool and spas are located on the
grounds of most of these properties.

Nearby Pasco County, another Tampa Bay area, offers many 55+
communities which are affordable and sought after. Some of the
most popular ones are Chateau Village, Eagles Point, Wedgwood
Village, Summertree, Heritage Lakes, Timber Greens, and Linkside
Village. These communities boast fitness centers to help you get
into shape, plenty of recreational activities to help you stay
fit, a pool and spa for residents to enjoy, community centers,
gated-entries for added security, and spectacular landscaping.

If a 55+ community isn’t for you, and you would rather be among
families or professional singles, there are plenty of
alternative solutions for your perfect retirement destination.
Your local Tampa Bay Florida real estate agent is ready to help
you find that solution.

Using an Estate Agent to Sell Your Property

Selling a property with the help of an estate agent is the traditional route. In fact it is so established that many people don’t even know that there is an alternative.

If you use an estate agent to help sell your property they will normally do the following things:

• Prepare the property particulars and photographs
• Promoting your property to potential buyers on their lists
• Arranging viewings with potential buyers
• Handling enquiries
• Helping to negotiate the offer price

However, Estate agents usually charge a hefty sales commission of between 1.5% to 4%, plus VAT.

This means that on a £250,000 property where the sales commission is 2.5% you would have to pay £6,250 sales commission plus £1,094 in VAT.

The other problem with using an estate agent is that ultimately they are only really interested in making their sales commission. This means that they might try and persuade you to accept an offer that you don’t really want to, simply to secure the commission.

Selling Property Privately

An increasing number of people are starting to sell their property privately to avoid having to pay agents’ sales commissions. And with 70% of people searching for property to buy online, this can make a lot of sense.

Many online private property sales sites are now offering similar services to estate agents (such as taking photographs, preparing an online advert for you and handling enquiries) without asking for a sales commission.

Selling property privately can save you thousands of pounds and the stress of working with an estate agent.

Property for me.co.uk is a private sales site covering the whole of the UK designed to help you save money in estate agents commission fees.

OK you prepared your home to sell. You mowed the lawn. You put out new pine needles and you even replaced those three dead bushes. You disassembled the trampoline in the back yard that you couldn’t live without three summers ago. You moved out the clutter (all into the garage and the attic) to make your home seem bigger. You painted over that purple accent wall with a neutral color. You even took down your velvet painting of “Dogs Playing Poker.” You lived in your house as if it were a museum for three months. Real Estate agents have been in and out of your house more often than my family at a buffet bar.

Well, you got an offer and accepted it. The buyer’s real estate agent tells you they want you to swim in a tank with live sharks…..I mean let their home inspector come and inspect your house. You feel the anxiety coming on…What to do…..no don’t take those pills they talk about on TV. Read the tips in this article.

My purpose in this article is to let you know some common things that home inspectors look for during an inspection and some things you can do to prepare for the colonoscopy……..I mean the home inspection. Here are my tips:

1. The home inspector is going to find something. No mater how much you prepare your house, he will find something. Don’t take it personally.

2. Clean your gutters.

3. Trim any trees or branches touching the roof.

4. Caulk the joints on your trim around windows and doors.

5. Make sure all your downspouts have diverters under them.

6. Clean your oven…make sure all your burners work.

7. Make sure your disposal and dishwasher are working properly.

8. Tighten your kitchen cabinets if they are loose.

9. Tighten tour toilets if they are loose.

10. Make sure your heat and air conditioning are working properly.

11. Caulk around your tub and shower if needed.

12. Change your filters for your HVAC system.

13. Make sure all your windows and doors open and close properly. Make adjustments as needed.

14. Remember all the stuff you dumped in the attic and garage to make your house more roomy? Please clean these. The inspector will need to get in there.

15. Make sure your garage door goes up and down properly. Make sure the auto reverse works properly.

16. Replace any light bulbs that are burned out.

17. For goodness sakes whatever you do, don’t put that velvet painting of “Dogs Playing Poker” back on the wall.

Get off the ledge!!! Don’t jump!!! You will be fine. You will survive the home inspection process. Remember that the home inspector is still going to find some things no matter how much you prepare. It’s not personal. If you have any questions or concerns about the home inspection process…or you want to buy a used trampoline…cheap. Cantact me - Preston Sandlin www.homeinspectioncarolina.com.

Preston Sandlin is a home inspector in Charlotte NC. He has been a licensed home inspector for eleven years. He is a member of the North Carolina Home Inspector’s Association, The Better Business Bureau, and the Charlotte Rgional Realtors Association. Preston has performed thousands of home inspections over the past eleven years.

Visit ==>www.homeinspectioncarolina.com

Money is like music, if managed well, produces a good symphony. One wrong note - one wrong decision - it produces a jarring sound. A homeowner knows what an important investment home is. And he or she can’t probably go wrong with this kind of investment. If you are intending to draw money on this investment, it better be a good decision. And it would be called - secured loans for homeowners.

Secured homeowner loans are also called mortgages. Their popularity is escalating perpetually. Homeowner secured loans have always been made available with low interest rate. Homeowner secured loans are forever bettering their own record in terms of interest rates. The latest report on homeowners secured loan tells that homeowner secured loans is offered to homeowners for as low as 5.1% interest rate.

There is logic behind the low interest rate on homeowner secured loans. Secured debts require you to place collateral in attached to them in form of a lien. A lien is a monetary claim against a property to be fulfilled before repeat ownership can take place. In other words, it means that the right to take other person’s property if an obligation is not discharged. In homeowners secured loan the collateral is your home. The loan lender will hold the claim for your home until you repay your mortgage. This implies that in case you don’t make repayments on your loan your property is liable to confiscation by the loan lender. This is the only road block in this otherwise smooth ride.

Homeowner secured loans have various modifications with respect to interest rate and loan term. Homeowner secured loans is offered to homeowners in the packaging of fixed, variable, capped, discounted, cash back. Fixed interest rate on homeowner secured loans implies that the rate of interest would remain the same throughout the whole loan term. The only drawback is that if the interest rates fall in the meantime, you would still be paying more interest rate.

With variable interest rate on secured homeowner loans, the interest rate would rise and fall according to the loan market. A variable rate secured homeowner loans is meant for you only if you can afford an increase in your monthly payments. A capped rate mortgage is variable rate will not allow the mortgage to go above a certain limit which is called ‘ceiling’. This homeowner secured loan may be beneficial in case the interest rates rise.

Discounted rate homeowner loans imply that your payments are based on discounted rate rate set at a certain level below the variable rate for a specific period of time. This means that your payments can fluctuate. Such a homeowner secured loan will permit you with lower payments in the early years in case you want to set up a new home. In case the interest rates rise while you are on discount your payments will increase.

With a cashback, you receive a lump sum or cash back which depends on the amount of loan you take. This is given on the time you take out the loan. This connotes that you will have money when you need it. However, interest rate on this homeowener secured loan might not be as attracitve. In Tracker homeowner loans the interest rate is linked to an independet rate such as Bank of England. The only impediment is that if the independent rate rises your rate of interest will increase and you will be paying more than variable interest rate.

With homeowner secured loans, the loan type you choose will directly effect the amount you pay. According to the Bankrate.com, one could have 5.1% interest rate on a 30 year homeowner loan. An adjustable rate mortgage can be started with a 4.47% starter rate. Finding a good homeowner secured loan lender is also vital. It ensures your success rate with your loan type. The important thing is to take advantage of this period. Being indecisive would only make your loan lender think that perhaps you are not serious about the loan and wont make the required effort to find the right homeowners secured loan for you.

What can you use your homeowner secured loan for? The answer is anything. Homeowner secured loan can fund your home improvement, car buying, paying of credit card bills, credit card debt or debt consolidation. The loan amount you can borrow will basically depend on your financial condition. Poor credit history is least effective against homeowner secured loans. Therefore, if you have inpaired credit history, you will still be successful to get a homeowner secured loan.

However, if you are finally decided to take up a homeowner secured loan then one advice for you - ‘get ready with the paperwork’. Your bank and brokerage statement, tax returns and insurance statement and any other required document should be ready with you. With online options, just get started. I think You are ready to produce that good symphony, we contemplated in the beginning. Let us call it homeowner secured loans.

Maria smith has not been writing articles from the beginning.But the increase in perplexing loans information has urged her to write on different loans types.So she writes in a way that is logical,comprehensive and understandably meant to cater to the need of general public who is left breathless while searching for loans.

To find a Loans uk, secured loans, unsecured loans, debt consolidation at low interest that best suits your needs, visit http://www.loansfiesta.co.uk

If you bought or sold your first home after 2001 then you may be perplexed by the current market. If your home has been on the market over three weeks without an offer and few people are showing up at the Sunday Open House… Relax… Do not panic.. You did not choose the wrong agent… This is just a return to a normal market.

Over the last 5 years we became accustomed to a frantic and fast paced market where property sold in a day with multiple offers and selling prices far over the listed price. The last four months have seen a change from that mad whirl to a slower paced normal market.

In a normal market it may take 30-90 days for a property to sell. The list price will be close to what the house down the street sold for last month and maybe a bit under, not $200,000 over that price. The best offer you receive may be the first offer and it will likely be below the list price. If you are lucky you may get four potential buyers through an open house. Your Nephew who quit his job as an engineer to make millions in real estate is probably getting ready to go back to engineering.

Potential buyers are taking weeks or months to make a decision about a property. They are no longer willing to pay top dollar for a home in poor condition. They might look at a fixer if it is priced right but will not pay a premium price for a marginal property.

A prospective purchaser will buy when they perceive a definite value. They will no longer be willing to overpay on the assumption that the home will double in value in 6 months. This does not mean that prices are dropping drastically because they aren’t. It does mean prices will increase at a slower pace. If a property is perceived as an excellent value then you will see multiple offers. I know of 6 properties in the last two weeks that sold for over list price with multiple offers. They were all listed at market value and in excellent condition.

Many Sellers have a hard time adjusting to a slower market. They do not want to believe the Great Times are over and now they must settle for Good Times. Many Sellers get into trouble and wind up chasing a down market. They continue to list at a price higher then market value in the hope that someone will still pay their price. In the long run sellers who chase a market almost always lose more then if they had priced their property correctly when it was first listed. None of us is smarter then the market!

If you are thinking of selling soon here are a few tips:

Get your home in market condition.

*Take a good look at your home. If you have not painted recently then paint
the interior and exterior if necessary. If the carpet is worn replace it.
Have the house professionally cleaned including windows. Make those minor repairs you have been putting off.

*Look at the exterior of your home. Landscaping is often the key to selling a home.
Buyers make half their decision on a property based on the exterior
of the home. Many will not even get out of the car if the exterior is not
appealing.

*Price your property at market value. Sellers always think a buyer will make a
lower offer on their home even if it is over priced… but they don’t. Buyers
rarely look at property well over their price range in the hope the seller
takes a lower offer. Your agent will give you current market COMPS
on similar homes in your area. Ask questions and view some of the competition to
see what they are like compared to your property.

*Have realistic expectations. Relax.. and your home will sell at the right price.

Kaye Thomas has been selling real estate in Manhattan Beach Ca since 1979. Kaye works with buyers and sellers and specializes in residential and small residential income property. In addition to selling Kaye spent 16 years managing an office and developed an extensive training program for new agents.

For more information on the Manhattan Beach and Southern California/South Bay real estate market visit Kaye at Kaye Thomas 4 Homes, Move 2 Manhattan Beach, or her Real Estate Blog at Manhattan Beach and South Bay Real Estate Information

Canny investors will tell you that the skill is knowing when to put your money into an opportunity. Who would not have bought into Tuscany or St Tropez 20 years ago if they had had the knowledge and the funds? But many people thinking about a holiday home are not hard-nosed investors but ordinary folk with some resources, looking to improve their lives, perhaps make a small return on their property and anxious not to make a mistake. Turkey has been immensely popular for all the right reasons for a second home.

But it has hit the news headlines over the past few weeks more for its impending health crisis than for its continued economic growth. The Avian Flu virus H5N1 strain has shown signs of becoming endemic and people fear it could spread further. Yet the truth is that this is still one of the best regions with a long summer season, superb scenery, amazing history and some very attractive and attractively priced properties in serene locations. Indeed, Turkey is often described as the last of the affordable paradises

Think twice before changing your mind about investing in Turkey because of recent events and the related media exposure that followed. This problem will resolve given a little time. As with every potential (and actual) epidemic in history, bird flu will eventually lose its power, certainly by the time any property you could buy today has been built. And, if you wait until all this concern is history, you will find that so have many other people and price inflation might make your purchase more difficult or its market appreciation less. Bright investors bought into Tuscany and St Tropez when many of the properties were basic farmhouses, or fishermen’s cottages. But buyers in Turkey do not have to wait a generation or two for gentrification. The new-build properties that are available off plan are to superb standards in superb locations at prices that are a fraction of those in the longer established getaway destinations, many of which today are overcrowded and have lost much of their charm. Turkey really is a paradise and the country plans to keep it that way.

The dream holiday location

So, in my opinion, bird flu is just a hiccup not a full stop. Yes, we have a vested interest as we handle some of the best properties in the finest regions of Turkey. But we are putting our own hard-earned money in so we are not advising anyone to do what we would not do. Is it not a golden rule to only put your money where your adviser is putting his? Would you take any notice of a horse tip from someone who smokes rollups and rides a bike?

Turkey is becoming increasingly popular as a holiday destination and is attracting knowledgeable property investors from across the world, particularly Europe and the US. Prices are still very low and properties that would cost you up to £1,000,000 on any of the Spanish Costa’s can be found for around £150,000 in Turkey, even by award-winning UK developers in an area we feel is the tops, Bodrum. With beautiful, historic, sun drenched locations and longer summer seasons than even Spain, Turkey truly is a delightful and affordable location.

A prospering country

The economic argument for investing in Turkey is as strong as the life-style one. Plans for Turkish accession to the EU officially opened on 3 October 2005. Though no date for joining is yet fixed, the candidacy of Turkey is expected to further increase foreign interest in the Turkish real estate market, not only by foreign investors but also from developers. Look at what has been happening in Bulgaria, which is currently looking forward to it’s own accession in 2007 - and that is only a year or so away! Investors are expected to reap the benefits by way of further investment into infrastructure and rising house prices. Your dream home in the sun may not be about capital appreciation but it is a comfort to know you and your family can enjoy a place that might one day soon reach a price that you could not afford! Or become a usable asset that would add something to your nest egg if you chose to sell at some time in the future.

Just days after the European Union and Turkey finally agreed to enter into talks for Turkey’s EU accession process, Dubai extended a hand of ‘friendship and cooperation’ to Turkey and committed to an extended real estate investment program worth five billion US dollars. A spokesperson for Amberlamb the property investment specialists said “This financial commitment from Dubai is the first foreign investment offered to Turkey since an agreement with the EU was reached and is therefore seen as highly significant. It is also the first in an estimated 1.2 trillion dollars of inward investment that Turkey is attempting to attract from the Gulf States.”

GDP growth in 2004 has been confirmed at 8.9%, considerably higher than expected. This figure is largely due to consumer spending and to investment, which picked up strongly throughout the year.

Turkey received a total of 17.5 million foreign visitors in 2004, a 25% increase on 2003. This trend seems to have continued in the early months of 2005, with visitor numbers up 25.9% in the first seven months of the year, compared to visitor numbers during the first seven months of 2004, helped by a renewal of interest from US citizens. The number of US tourists rose by 31% in 2004 to close to 300,000, which must prove it has a lot to offer to some of the wisest travelers in the world.

With the current improved economic conditions, property values have already recovered and passed pre 2001 value levels. Property funds, both domestic and foreign, are investing again, inflation continues to decline, the economy is growing and the government is expected to continue with the economic program formulated by the IMF.

The residential market is very strong due to declining interest rates and rising confidence in the economy. Commercial property markets, especially in Istanbul, are attracting foreign interest mostly from foreign European and Gulf property funds.

Currently, the most active segment of the real estate market for foreign developers and investors is in retail property. However, there is significant recent interest from foreign developers for holiday home projects located on the Aegean and Mediterranean coast of Turkey and compared to Spain and Portugal, Turkey offers a similar if not longer season at more affordable values.

Yes, but …… Could bird flu across Turkey prove a real disaster?

You are wise to look carefully at the downside. So, lets look at a worst-case scenario: Past pandemics have spread globally in two and occasionally three waves. Each wave can last from 5 to eight weeks and be separated by three to six months. A pandemic could last for a single wave of no more that a couple of months or in a worst-case scenario it could generate several waves of infection over up to two years.

An average build time for an off-plan property is two years, including those we are handling. So any drop in potential rental activity during the course of endemic infection is irrelevant because by the build time of a property. Whether you are buying to rent or as a holiday home - if you time your purchase carefully you are extremely unlikely to find your return on investment lessened by H5N1.

Some observations, in conclusion…

Don’t start putting the brakes on any intentions to invest in Turkey on the back of an unfortunate few weeks. It is almost inconceivable that this particular strain of influenza will not have been placed on the biological back-burner by Mother Nature or have been brought under control by means of an effective vaccine by the time any property bought off plan today is finally completed. Remember, current low prices will rise again once all the negative hype has blown over - making investors with foresight plenty of return.

As with all things, do your homework, keep your ear to the ground and employ common sense. The bottom line is that there are far bigger mistakes to be made choosing the wrong development/location/agent than in choosing Turkey as a location for a holiday home or an investment property.

James Wittering is the Marketing manager for EPI. They also have investment property for sale in Turkey

A bipartisan committee has made two recommendations to President Bush regarding tax reform. In this article, we take a look at the second option.

Tax Reform

A year ago or so, President Bush decided to spend his political capitol on tax reform and fixing social security. Social security reform went down in flames, so now it is time to see if tax reform is an option.

In an effort to eliminate the Alternative Minimum Tax, the committee was charged with coming up with alternative revenue sources. The biggest deduction on the books is the mortgage interest deduction and the committee has offered two plans. The first puts a cap on the deduction and would be a disaster. The second option, however, is very interesting.

The committee on tax reform has recommended a unique approach to eliminating the mortgage interest deduction entirely. Before you go ballistic, consider what they are replacing it with.

In this second option, a homeowner would be unable to deduct any mortgage interest. They would, however, be able to claim a tax credit equal to fifteen percent of the interest paid up to an undefined mortgage cap. While that is a lot of jargon, the key is the difference between a tax deduction and a tax credit.

A tax deduction is reduced from your overall income. If you earn $80,000 and pay $10,000 in interest, your taxable income will be reduced to $60,000. It looks good, but it doesn’t make as big a difference in the actual tax you pay. A tax credit, however, is a different story.

A tax credit is an amount deducted from the actual amount of tax you have to pay each year. Assume you whip together your taxes and owe $10,000 to the IRS after claiming all your deductions and checking the tax owed chart. Under the tax reform plan, you would total the interest paid for the year and then reduce your tax owed by 15 percent. If you paid $10,000 in interest during the year, you would take a tax credit of $1,500 against the tax owed. In short, this would reduce the check you have to send in from $10,000 to $8,500.

The tax credit plan offered by the tax reform committee is very interesting. It could be windfall for some people. Apply the numbers to your 2004 taxes and see how you come out.

Sergio Haros is with Great Western Mortgage - San Diego Mortgage Brokers - providing San Diego home loans. Great Western Mortgage is a San Diego mortgage company writing San Diego mortgages and San Diego refinance and home equity loan.

Google have launched another beta product called Google Trends. This enables people to check the popularity of keywords and the locations where they are most used. Being interested in the property market lets take a look at some of the major keywords that people will use to search the web.

Starting off with the keywords ‘property for rent’, ‘letting agents’, ‘houses for rent’, ‘flats for rent’ and ‘properties for rent’. The keywords were input into the Google trends search box, the report was ran off and it brought up a simple page with a graph showing the main trend for the keywords by search volume, however in this case there didn’t appear to be a scale on the y axis so the exact volume could not be known. However, looking at the graph it appears that the keyword search volume was fairly consistent over the period of 2005 and 2006 with the most popular keyword search for these 5 being letting agents.

The other section of the results show the top locations from where these searches were made in the UK. Looking at this data we could use an assumption that these are the property rental hotspots from the searches done on Google. With 76% of searches performed through google this could give us an idea of what the trends and patterns are for searches for rental property. In the example that Rentright performed the most searches for this keyword were performed by people in West Lothian, followed by Milton Keynes, Edinburgh and St Albans.

The great part of this tool is it is possible to do a comparison between 5 different keyword searches selecting different time periods, locations and areas. Another search that was performed was a comparison between houses for rent, houses to rent, flats for rent and flats to rent, the results showed that the most searches by volume was flats to rent with St Albans being the main area where this search was performed. The term houses to rent was searched on the most times by people in Bradford.

View the Full Report on Rentright

This tool provides an insight into what people are searching for in your chosen field and where these searches are most conduceted. This tool can be used as an excellent marketing resource to analyise markets and trends on the most popular search engine in the world.

All data provide in the reports are taken from the Google Trends Search Facility.

Chris Courtis is co-founder of the Rentright Residential Property Portal and is dedicated to the Rental Property Market.